1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spring and plunger positioning assemblies and, more particularly, to an assembly for use with a firearm.
2. Prior Art
In the firearms industry, the use of coiled springs and plungers in a hole to position or locate two members relative to each other is well known. The hole is formed in a first member and the spring and plunger are mounted therein. The plunger extends from an aperture of the hole and is movable therein by compressing the spring. In order to prevent the spring and plunger from falling out of the hole, a second hole is drilled into the first member, transverse to the first hole, and a limiting pin is inserted to limit the forward motion of the plunger. The second member usually has a detent notch that the forward end of the plunger can extend into. This prevents the two members from moving relative to each other except as otherwise provided and, the plunger can be pushed back into the hole, compressing the coil spring, to allow for disengagement of the two members.
A problem exists with spring and plunger positioning systems in the prior art in that, due to the exterior shapes of the parts of the firearm, it is sometimes relatively expensive to drill the second hole that is intended to hold the retaining pin. A curved exterior surface may require actually drilling a pre-hole surface such that the second hole can be drilled straight. This obviously increases the cost of manufacturing the firearm.
A further problem exists with the three piece positioning system in the prior art in that the retaining pin hole disturbs the exterior appearance of the firearm and is a collection point for dirt. It also makes disassembly of the system very difficult and thus, makes cleaning of the spring and plunger very difficult.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved spring and plunger locating system for a firearm.